Josue Rios

Lito Wuz Here Josue Rios

I decided to call the book Lito Wuz Here and use a picture of the neighborhood I grew up in (Georgetown South) because I want to be able to inspire young kids who grew up in that neighborhood or in a similar one. Lito is my childhood nickname; my siblings, along with close family and friends, still call me that. When I was growing up in the South (Georgetown South), there were times when I felt trapped and thought to myself that I would never make anything of myself in life. I look back now and realize the drugs and alcohol had a heavy influence on the mindset that I had at that age. I am now thirty-one years old and have been completely sober since Christmas of 2019. Many of my poems were written while hospitalized in many different psych wards and throughout many sleepless nights. It makes me realize that there is a purpose, even for our hardships in life. My goal is to reach out to anyone that is willing to hear and make them realize there is always hope, no matter where you come from. That hope may just not come from a direction you initially thought. I never thought nor had the goal of becoming a published author or poet. I wrote my first poem in April 15, 2020, and have been writing them ever since. Though I do not follow a certain poetic format, I believe I've meshed my love for hip-hop and my fondness for poetry and developed my own style, which is the way I like to write. My poetry book, Lito Wuz Here, was written with the hopes of inspiring a younger generation.